Wedding Wednesdays: The Top 5 Tiers of Wedding Cake Dos and Don'ts

Whether a wedding cake is the least of your worries or high on the "must-obsess-over" list, The Knot's guide to getting the perfect cake has got you covered. From budgeting to picking out your flavors, they're here to answer all of your questions—before you even have any. Here are the top 5!

1. Don't choose a cake until you've made your major wedding style decisions.
You'll want a cake that's compatible with the look of your venue, the season, your wedding gown, the flower arrangements and the menu. Arrive at your cake consultation prepared—you don't need to have a complete sketch in hand, but knowledge of basic terms will make it easier on everyone. And if you're looking for a custom design, bring along inspiration, like a swatch of lace from your dress or a picture of your wedding china.

2. Do have a budget in mind.
Wedding cake is usually priced by the slice. The cost can vary, but it generally ranges from $3 to $30 a slice (and beyond). It's easy to be wooed by blood orange filling and a multi-flavor cake when you're making decisions with a sugar buzz, but having a handle on your budget—and knowing what will affect it—will allow you to prioritize your choices. For instance, more flavors equals more money; the more complicated the flavor, the bigger the price tag; handmade sugar flowers will add dollars to every slice; and fondant icing is generally more expensive than buttercream.

3. Do match the cake height to your space.
Generally, three tiers will serve 50 to 100, and you'll likely need five layers for 200 or more guests. Your cake should fit the space too—if your reception is in a grand ballroom, consider increasing the cake's stature with columns between the tiers, or opting for a faux Styrofoam layer (no one will know!) to add height.

4. Don't choose the flavor based on what everyone else wants. 
Besides being a showpiece, your cake should taste amazing too. When you meet with prospective bakers, taste lots of flavors. Don't be afraid to stray from vanilla and chocolate. And don't forget to sample fillings too—many bakers are working with complex flavorings, like guava and mango or hazelnut and mocha.

5. Do get the facts on frosting.
Buttercream or fondant? Buttercream is often much more delicious. But if you love the smooth, almost surreal-like look of fondant, consider frosting the cake in buttercream first and then adding a layer of fondant over the entire confection. Whatever type of icing you choose, stick to colors your guests will want to eat. If your wedding hues are blue and green, opt for a white cake with subtle green-frosted accents.

With The Knot's help, your decision-making process will be a piece of cake! Use the top 5 tiers and devour the details of picking out your wedding cake!

Better with Age, How These N.H. Ice Castles are Staying Cool

According to Boston.com, the massive Ice Castles in New Hampshire are adding a new frozen feature for visitors this winter.

The 20 million pound attraction in North Woodstock, N.H., complete with slides, tunnels, archways, thrones, fountains, and LED lights that twinkle to music, will add a new enchanted walk through the forest. The walking path will include ice sculptures and plenty of photo opportunities.

Guests can also hop on a horse-drawn sleigh ride that takes them through the forest and around the hand-built attraction.

Weather permitting, work on the castles will begin in early November by growing and harvesting up to 10,000 icicles each day, according to the Utah-based company. They're expected to open in early January.

This is the attraction’s sixth season in New Hampshire and second year at its new location in the Granite State. For the first five years, it was located at the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln. Hundreds of thousands of people have visited the castles since they first opened in New Hampshire in 2014, according to the company.

New Hampshire is one of six Ice Castles locations across North America. The others are in Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Alberta, Canada.

Bundle up and meet us in North Woodstock to devour the details of a super chill time at the ice castles!

Monday Mashups: Raise the Woof for Dog-centric Events

Dog-centric events will probably never go out of style. According to BizBash, two recent pop-ups elevated the concept with activities that specifically catered to four-legged companions. Animal website, The Dodo, as well as BuzzFeed in partnership with Petco launched separate, themed, multi-day pop-ups for dogs and their owners in New York this fall, both of which were open to the public.

The Dodo’s Best Dog Day Ever, which opened October 4 and ran through October 27, is an expansion of the inaugural event the brand held last year. The second edition, which is the brand’s largest event to date, was located at 25 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg and had a Halloween theme. The ticketed pop-up had multiple activities tailored to dogs, including on-theme toy pits, a corn maze for racing, a trick-or-treat-theme snack bar with options for dogs and humans, a costume parade, and a graveyard for busted toys.

Venus Ferrer, senior vice president and head of account management at Group Nine Media, which owns The Dodo, said the brand wanted to expand the Best Dog Day Ever concept after experiencing success with the first edition—a three-hour event in Brookfield Place, which drew more than 1,400 people. This year’s event has been widely marketed throughout the city through efforts like digital subway ads and partnerships with dog influencers, who attended a V.I.P. preview of the event. The brand estimates by the end of the event, as many as 10,000 people will have attended.

The Dodo didn’t initially make it a priority to host a Halloween-theme event, but that it came naturally to the brand after it decided fall was the best season to host the pop-up. The brand also was inspired by owners who dress up their dogs for the holiday. The Dodo also partnered with Dyson and Target to execute sponsored activations at the pop-up. Dyson had a mad scientist-theme lab activation, where dogs could get complimentary makeovers with Dyson grooming products. And Target sponsored a dog costume cam that produced 180-degree GIFs.

One of the cheekier stations was an area for dogs to relieve themselves, complete with red fire hydrant props, green turf, and doggie bags. Green turf was also used in a fenced-in area resembling a lawn, complete with furniture and snacks and drinks for dogs and their owners.

Petco and BuzzFeed hosted its own dog pop-up in September, taking over a vacant space in Manhattan for five days. The pop-up, named Wild & Waggy, aimed to celebrate Petco and its healthy pet products.

The space featured seven dog-friendly stations including a ball pit, a green screen photo op, crafting stations to make dog collars and patches, a step and repeat featuring Petco’s artificial-free nutrition brands, and downward dog yoga, in the most literal sense. The event drew 2,000 people, accepting walk-ins and R.S.V.P.s on a custom landing page.

Kelly Leach, senior vice president at Horizon Media, Petco’s media agency of record, said the brand partnered with BuzzFeed to create the pop-up “based on their scale among pet parents, their shared vision of pushing boundaries while still embracing fun, and ability to create a credible and socially fluid experience.”

Making sure all aspects of both events were safe for dogs was a major factor for organizers. Ferrer noted that The Dodo hired a vet consultant for feedback on what would be good for animals and what wouldn’t; smoke machines, for example, is an idea the brand decided to forego.

Megan Oxford, manager of consumer communications at Petco, said organizers of dog-friendly events should make sure there are water bowls within reach and trash cans out of reach. She also suggested keeping catering intended for humans away from dogs, particularly chocolate, turkey skin, grapes and raisins, caffeinated drinks, and onions that may be dangerous for them.

Both events also had adoption areas for attendees. The Dodo partnered with Project Forever Home to have adoptable pups held in a fenced-in, backyard-theme area. Petco and BuzzFeed had local dogs from Muddy Paws Rescue, Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue, and Long Island Bull Dog Rescue.

We're all fur activations like these! Help raise the woof and consider devouring the details of your very own dog-centric event!